Team Member Spotlight: Matt Heeren
Matt with his dad and grandfather in front of the WSOR 101 locomotive.
Railroading is in Wisconsin & Southern Railroad
“Ever since I was little, it’s what I wanted to do.
(WSOR) Conductor/Engineer Matt Heeren’s
As my parents can always remember, I wanted
blood. He comes from a long line of railroaders.
to work for the railroad,” Heeren said.
His grandfather, great-grandfather, and
It wasn’t his initial career path, though. He started
great-great-grandfather all worked on the Milwaukee Road, which later became part of the Soo Line. Now, he’s operating trains in the same region that his family has for generations. 8 The Dispatch | June 2020
out working for a window furnishings producer in northern Illinois. He was unsure of his future there, and then the factory closed. But Heeren didn’t make his move into railroading until he met a girl.
